Reflections- done by mirrors
by Special Agent Sazoo
Summary: Reflections is a study of carachters based on the tv show NCIS. What do Ducky, Tony and Ziva see, when they look in a mirror? How do they feel? And what do the others think, looking at them?
1. Chapter 1 Donald Mallard

**Reflections- done by mirrors**

**A Study of characters**

* * *

What do you see when looking in a mirror? What's behind those eyes and what is written in them? Is there a chance you see your own reflection the same way others see you?

Dr. Donald Mallard-a man sticking to routine.

Surely he is having an all-day routine, look at the way he´s taking crime scenes in and how he´s wearing bow ties always being smartly dressed. His hair is always combed the same way- ever noticed?

Although Ducky is old-fashioned and rather taking a conservative way of achieving his goals than one of those modern manners. He accepts, unlike Gibbs, technology as part of his life and is not afraid of using any. Even if he has his problems with readers manuals like everyone else of us.

Ducky hosts a passion for the Opera and classics within himself. I'd say he pictures himself as a very lucky man to achieve such a good education like he did.

That man found balance in life. He does not feel any pressure of changing or trying something new. Now one could say, he´s just being boring, but if you asked me; he found his way in between yin and yang, black and white. He knows where he´s going and he´s content with himself. He came to terms with what he lived through during his younger years.

Undoubtedly he is a perfectionist, rarely making mistakes in his diagnosis and yet, where is the loving wife in his life? Has there ever been an other half, or a lives' love?

Had he ever lived on his own or never left "mother"?

What is inside a man who lived with his mother as long as Ducky did?

Unquestioned, lots of love and a sense of family and knowledge about ones roots, but other than that?

Give him a piece of information and you'll get a whole story, because he knows a story to everything, he, the well-educated and polite Scots man.

Every now and then he´s acting like the loving grandfather who just found listeners to his stories of a long foregone past, keen on submitting the intelligence of life and experience, yet too often he finds himself being stopped or interrupted by youth's impatience.

Since death is for eternity, the man of so many words found thankful listeners in his patients, as he refers to the bodies himself.

Not just once in his working career had he seen the necessity in raising a moral index finger, alarmed by his co-workers words, that seem to have bypassed brain and absent-mindedly slipped off their tongues in order to be amusing.

Lots of effort is put into raising and teaching a wise-acting, caring and competent next generation from his side.

Ducky does not shy away from confronting even Jethro.

Loyalty is certainly written in bold letters in Ducks book. Not just because he´s being a Doctor and swore to keep secrets.

If you found your way into that mans heart, he'll hold you there, of that I'm sure. I´m a hundred percent positive he would've done anything for Jenifer Shepard.

There´s something about his eyes, they are alert, observant. You can watch him assessing a situation from the psychological point of view. His glare has nothing like Gibbs´, nevertheless I'm sure; it takes a bit to stand his psychological stare. With his tactics he gets probably as much information as Gibbs and I wouldn't want to be the one to decide which one can make you feel more uncomfortable… Would you disagree? Think you can smuggle anything by under the watchful eye of Dr. Mallard?

And then, what troubles Ducky when seeing his reflection? Does he have regrets about chances not taken? Does Ducky think about his eyes getting worse and his muscles feeling not as strong as they used to?

Is he seeing weakness in his bones and lines in his face, or is the mirror reflecting an image of a time long passed, showing him a much younger Ducky.

Maybe he does not regret but rather welcome all the years ahead of him. Looking forward, seeking even more wisdom. But who to share with once he retired?

How does he pass time on lonely evenings? Reading?

What for do you look back longingly once you're old, having lost the playfulness of your younger ego, lost passionate love affairs or times when you did not think about tomorrow?

That knowledge it is, in addition to experience, that differs age from youth.


	2. Chapter 2 Leroy Jethro Gibbs

0530

The mans hair was rumbled, looking like he just got up seconds before, but when glancing at his eyes you can only imagine a thin layer of sleep that must have been there, in case he had gotten some the previous night, neither being haunted be his ghosts of the past insomnia nor cases nor the work on his boat.

Although the trained eye would miss some of his usual guardedness his awareness is in place at this time of the day.

About the hair; later he would run a comb through it, staring at his reflection in the mirror.

He was told to have the bluest eyes, intense and demanding the truth. He himself never spent time watching his eyes trying to find those things.

The lines characterising his face came from those nights he had troubles finding sleep, finding peace. Leroy Jethro Gibbs's life was not just crossed by some brutal strokes of fate, but as well did he witness some of the most unsettling events.

Not just was his daughter killed along with her mother, his beloved wife, true and for a long time only love of his life by some drug lord while he was fighting in Kuwait, only months later had the soldier and friend next to him been shot.

Gibbs had taken years to get over the loss of his family. He had always thought they'd be save in DC and that it was him who was in trouble and when life proved him wrong it cut deep.

Not one single day he forgot the intense loss, the first weeks he didn't sleep. He ran away from everyone who offered help. Then, when he could no longer stand the sight of Kellys toys and Shannons clothing and smell, he returned to the Corps. And again the ground under his feet vibrated, readying to swallow him.

His comrade and the one friend he had and did trust most in the Corps was shot. Just like that. They were patrolling, when they suddenly were attacked. The 15 men found themselves fighting hard against a superiority of enemies. Fastest they could they hit the ground, crawling behind bushes, ready to return the fire the moment they got a chance. Same moment they were searching for a chance to get out. Seven hours and 37 minutes it took them to get back to the only 4 miles far base. Until then not just Tom found his death, but 6 more brave young men.

It seemed that very day, gunnery sergeant L.J. Gibbs had lost his willpower to survive the war. He did not care where he was sent to, he did not speak.

It felt like slowly losing one's mind. At nights he still saw Kellys tears about him leaving for Kuwait and Shannons sad smile. He heard her pleading and then the nightmare would turn worse. He would hear their screams when their car was shot at, imagine their last moments.

Somewhen he would gratefully wake up, drenched in sweat and unable to find rest again.

He got his revenge. That was one of the most hurtful lessons he was taught by life: Even getting revenge, killing that very person responsible for the death of a sweet little girl who had dreamed of being a pianist and a loving, caring and certainly the most beautiful mother ever, killing that very person would only be a small plaster on his ripped and broken heart.

Neither his nightmares vanished nor his guilty conscience for leaving them alone.

He had thought about killing himself, but then, after all the time he had spent in war, he found himself unable to pull the trigger.

One woman turned up, to ease the pain of his soul, unconsciously though he never spoke about "them". She brought the wittiness and playfulness back in his life that went missing all those years ago.

A new passion grew in his heart and soon he pictured himself unable to resist that redheaded woman, that was so different from Shannon and yet so much like her.

With her he had an unforgettable time, with her he had the feeling of being hole again and he started to believe he got another chance, the lines on his face softened under her gentle touch, just to be ripped again when he awoke one morning to an empty bed and a dear-john-letter.

And he couldn't help but feeling old then.

* * *

0900

The man across Tonys desk was having his 4th coffee since the moment he stormed in much earlier. Briefly Tony wondered about Gibbs' anatomy, but then it was nothing unusual.

This man is suspected not to have blood running through his system but coffee.

As big as his love for the dark liquid, the dislike for everything but coffee is he harbours. Easiest way to mess with Gibbs? Spill his coffee. Tony had learned this lesson fast and the tough way and he still winced at that thought.

Gibbs seems pretty tough at first sight. He demands lots from you and he is certainly not easy to impress.

Not just the willingness to work crazy hours, he constantly pushes you to your limits, but if you are lucky to get a peak from behind the façade you'll find out about the softness inside.

Bonds knitted from his heart are stronger than even the biggest rope could be. Once he accepted someone as a brother he never leaves him out of his eye. That's what you learn joining the Corps and it is what sticks to you when you already left it for another part of your life. You will not leave your co-workers and friends in the fight, personal or working-related, you'll stand your ground and cover their asses. Everyone who ever worked on his team would sign for that, but above everyone, a certain Jenifer Shepard knew the truth behind those words.

A long time ago, Gibbs had covered for her, when she had messed up and later as his boss, she saw that character trait again, when he covered for McGee.

But what impresses her even more is how he manages to get his team working as one.

He may have strange or antique methods, referring to his head slaps, nonetheless it always seems to work out for him in the end.

* * *

2230

Jen walked down the stairs to his basement. She smirked to herself when she remembered Burleys words the first week after she joined NCIS

"Wanna meet him late at night? Odds say he´s in his basements rather than bedroom." Both of them had laughed then. She, because she thought it funny, although she trusted Gibbs to do exactly that and Stan because he had the feeling that there was something going to evolve between the new Probie and his old boss, known to be a sucker for long-legged red-heads.

She continued walking the stairs, until she stood in the basement looking at him. He stopped midstroke sanding the boat.

She walked over to him; smiling gently and encouragingly and he hold her in his arms, glad to have his favourite red-head here with him to spend the night with.


End file.
